Should the Clippers have blown the Kings out? Should the Clippers have lost? Was it just right? Yes to all of those. The Clippers oscillated between looking terrible, like coherent team and like a team just good enough to beat the Kings. On the whole the Clippers are still just good enough to beat a terrible team like the Kings.

The Clips had a lead as big as 17 in the third quarter and they still managed to give all of it away and even trail the Kings by as many as 4 points with less than three minutes in the game. The scourge of turnovers in the third and fourth quarters, the surprise bench contribution from Pooh Jeter (11 points in 17 minutes? Really?) and the push from Omri Casspi (who had more fans than both teams tonight) were the reasons that the Kings fought themselves all the way back. While the effort was there the whole night for the Clippers, the inconsistency of execution and the lack of focus wavered mightily.

They played their best basketball in the second and third quarter despite having a relatively quiet night from Blake. Blake did have another double double. But the second leading scorer on the team was Ryan Gomes. He was refreshingly efficient, reminding Clippers fans why he was signed in the first place. He even scored the first 6 points of the second quarter to spark the Clippers run. They went from down 20-16 to up 22-20 in the matter of 2 minutes. And it’s not like he stopped there. He finished the night with 17 points, on 7 for 12 shooting and a timely three with 1:29 left in the third quarter to put the Clippers back up 14. And his most impressive play didn’t even count, he made a 60 foot heave just after the buzzer in the first half. Still, his energy set the tone for the Clippers’ play.

Even when the Clippers were in the process of giving it away they continued to hustle and get production from their players. In the fourth quarter when the Kings whittled the lead down to 4 (after a particularly ugly Rasual airball), the Clippers came back with a huge dunk from DeAndre with a put-back jam. Despite the slipping, there was an unbridled ferocity to the Clippers. Sure it may have been the reason that they lost the lead, their turnovers and shot attempts rapidly turned forced and rushed. Aggression is not a good emotion to gear shots unless it’s dunks. But they ran with it all the way through.

That lawless energy did make the game feel more emotional than it was. After Omri tied the game (with the huge ovation, in part due to the “A Night for Israel” fans) and then Tyreke sunk a three, the lead was only 4 but due to the wildness of the play it seemed so far out of reach. Until they completely switched it around. Gordon made some go-to-guy plays down the stretch that included the game tying layup and knocking down a 3 to extend the lead to 3.

From there it was just a free-throw fest, but think about that turnaround. The Clippers were down 4 with only 2:36 and they ended up winning by 7. That’s an 11 point turn around. It just felt frenzied the whole time. The Clippers did end up winning the game, but that uncontrolled play is the reason why they struggle on the road. I’d rather have it that way than lethargic, because discipline is easier to teach than effort, but the Clippers will have to learn to play more consistently if they are going to beat teams that aren’t as wild as they are.

Additional stuff:

- DeAndre’s defense is improving. He still frustratingly swats the ball into oblivion (like the Karch Kiraly spike to half court in the first), but the transition defense he played on Pooh Jeter in the fourth quarter was something I haven’t seen from him before. He established good position, kept his arms straight up, backed up and forced Jeter to take a tough shot. If that was as recent as last year, he would have done one of two things: get quickly whistled for a charging foul or try for the amazing block and get called for a foul. Either way, DeAndre mucks that one up with the opportunity for a three point play.

- Baron Davis left the game with a sore hamstring. Too bad, he had 8 assists in 20 minutes. I didn’t like that he had 8 shots in those 20 minutes (made only 2, eesh), but if that’s what the Clips have to suffer through to get that kind of passing, it’s an overall plus.

- Eric Bledsoe played well down the stretch. Baron left midway through the fourth with the Clippers up 4 (or 2, Bledsoe came in when Jeter was shooting 2 FTs). Down the stretch Bledsoe grabbed a rebound and dished out 2 assists without turning the ball over and sinking two free throws in the last minute. Quite an improvement for the rookie over his implosion last night. Good to see that resiliency.

- I don’t like the minutes trend for Aminu. In the last 4 games he’s only averaged 15.5 minutes despite being the best 3 point shooter on the team. When Gomes plays like tonight (17 points in 29 minutes), I understand, but I can’t believe that Rasual helps the team more than Aminu. And Rasual got 23 minutes to Aminu’s 18.

- I got to sit next to Bill Walton for the first and fourth quarters. How was the experience? Let’s go to Walton voice: “That was the greatest NBA viewing experience that Breene Murphy has ever had! The Majesty! The elder Walton repeatedly spouted the most glorious hyperbole! He compared the illustrious career of Omri Casspi to the legendary Doctor Julius Erving and enraptured Breene Murphy and Eric Pincus with his wise witticisms and witty wisdoms!”

Baron Davis started the 4th quarter. He facilitated the humiliating meltdown. 16pt. was gone just like that.

Then came Bledsoe. He stopped the bleeding by simply making Gordon & Griffin take care of the business.

At this point I heard Lawler talking about Baron Davis. He wanted Baron to TAKE OVER the game!!!!!!!!!

Everything is changing in Clippernation. Maybe it’s high time they replace their ‘boared’casters as well. Their ridiculous on air comments and patronizing approach towards Clipper players sound stupid & irrelevant.

brad

How dare you sir,

Its one thing to bash the players, I understand that. They Are 5-17. But we don’t question the brilliance and genius of the “Voice”

QD

Chalk this close game to the 2nd unit, esp. Rasaul Butler. What was he doing? He jacked up 3 terrible, well defended shots. Sool has little bball IQ. I would like to see Aminu to play more since Sool has been playing poorly most of the season

Darius

This is utter sacrilege

http://www.hh4law.com Deez Nutz

Agreed. Ralph is sacrosanct AND untouchable. How dare you!

Lawler’s Law

blaming the all-mighty will get you nowhere around these parts sir…I do blame Mike Smith though!

Lawler’s Law

speaking of announcers, i did not know the big Red Head was back in broadcasting! but why the kings!!??

griffin

Old clippa get off this blog one of the reason why clipper fans watch the game at home because of good commentary from ralph lawler. He will never be replace. If clippers ever had a hall of famer it will be ralph lawler blake griffin and eric gordon in that order. Oh yeah and ralph lawler epic bingo when gordon hit the dagger 3. I love that dagger 3. Gordon is something special.

Old Clippa

I understand the sentiments concerning Ralph Lawler.

I hope he has the ability to understand the sentiments of younger generation.

That include fans and players.

He looks down on our rookie stars in the making. He needs to treat players with respect. He shouldn’t expect special treatment from any players just because he’s a senior citizen. He’s not representing his age; he’s representing the TEAM. And he owes a great deal to FANS as well.

Oh, yes… we owe him too.

http://www.firedunleavy.com FD

What do we owe him? Did he save your life? They get paid a lot of money to do a job most people would do for free. All power to him, but we don’t owe him anything. Maybe you were joking.

JaySee

Good to see that EG is making his FTs and 3s.
Bledsoe 0 turnovers!!!
Seriously… why is Butler getting Aminu’s minutes? Aminu shoots better, is more athletic, and has better defense. His only fault are rookie turnovers, but Butler turns it over dribbling on his foot or airballing.

Aminu Fan

VDN wants Aminu to gain more confidence sooner than later. Even Dunleavy didn’t have that attitude towards Gordon. Mobley didn’t have to come off the bench. But Gordon did until the Mobley trade.

Our coaches are working on Aminu; telling him to attack and shoot the open 3. Bledsoe, Gordon and Griffin need to look for Aminu more often and make him get involved.

Right now we need Butler & Gomes contributing to win games. If we can win 10 games in a row(like NY Knicks), we can keep our hope alive for this season.

Ram

I don’t know about better defence? but I hate to see the ball in Butlers hands. get rid of that guy already! I have never seen anyone with such a knack of giving the ball up in crusal moments. that’s the coach’s fault. because he should not be out there in that situation!

clipperbull

A messy win but a win none the less. The team looks promising if they can stay healthy. Bledsoe broke out and finished the 1st half strong which lead to a great night. EG delivered down the stretch and was the difference maker. Baron had some ups and downs but had some nice stuff going with a very unorthodox lineup (Gomes, Butler, Aminu and Collins). They fell way behind and it looked like a disaster until they pulled together, giving a glimpse of a possible rotation. I would have loved to see BD more with the first unit. That’s where I feel the team is at it’s strongest and can make a stand against the leagues better lineups (not the Kings). But VDN had other ideas. They got the win. That’s what’s important.

SamMays

I guess you didn’t see the fourth when the team gave up a 17 point lead with Baron on the floor shooting his usual 2 – 8 (25%)…

Baron is over as a dominant, or even good player. The best he can do for this team is come off the bench and help them for brief periods.

clipperbull

BD still has much to offer this group if he can stay healthy. Bottom line is that they’re 2-2 since his return and it’s going to get better.

Clipper Bull**** Indeed

Baron staying healthy? Ho…ho…haa…haaa.

Funny stuff.

Ram

If I never see Butler and Collins again. it would be to soon. I hate that!

Mike Wr

Ralph needs a new script which doesn’t star BD. His plus/minus last night was -12. Bledsoe had a very good game and was in there for the final minutes. BD with a hamstring problem? What else is new? The guy’s old and out of shape. I praised his play vs SA but he couldn’t keep up with Pooh Jeter in this one.

Old Clippa

Baron always plays hard first 2 games only to showcase and broadcast his hidden talent which is of no use for teams playing 82 games.

He’s an OASIS. Don’t get fooled over and over again.

Mike Wr

Part #2
Did I miss a separate write-up you did on Eric Gordon? The guy goes off in the 4th quarter, leading the Clips to a win, and you don’t mention it at all in your writeup. What is up with that?

Patrick

He’s becoming increasingly clutch at the end of games. Not flawless, but drastically improved. You just can’t argue with 13 points in the fourth. Awesome.

If the Clippers finish the season even remotely close to .500 and Gordon continues to put up numbers like these, then should he be considered for most improved player? Does he make an All-NBA team?

Old Clippa

Previous 2 seasons, Baron Davis intentionally ignored Gordon and refused to get him involved in playmaking assignment. Baron didn’t make Gordon better. Instead he tried to make Gordon look like an ordinary player.

Ryan

I agree, I think EJ deserves his own paragraph for that second half performance last night. 23 points (7-10 shooting) in the 2nd half. EJ took over from the 6:00 minute mark and he put the Clippers on his shoulders for the win.

http://www.firedunleavy.com FD

Ralph and Mike get paid by the Clippers who say, something like “Talk up Baron because he sells tickets”. Sounds like they’ll be replaced if they don’t. Maybe it’s Roser’s job to write the script for them.

The Voice is untouchable at worst. Mike Smith is at best, panty waist. Constantly wollowing in irrelevance and focusing on what “HE” thinks even though what he thinks is generally already common knowledge. And any excuse to lump he and Larry Bird in the same sentence is pure pain.

Old Clippa

Lawler & Smith must go.

Thank you MR.RALPH LAWLER for your tirelless service. But it’s time for you to retire. Non-stop traveling and wasting your valuable time with MIKE SMITH isn’t worth it.

We don’t want Mike Smith to take over the mantle after you’re gone. We deserve somebody more qualified.

Metal Matty

Barron may have struggled during the stretch where they lost the lead but fact of the matter is, he has been an energizer and dime machine lately. Not odd at all that Ralph would look for his insertion by coach late in a close game. Doesn’t mean Bledsoe has to be the one coming out. The kid played very well.

Dump Davis

Last night’s game, especially a ten minute run in the second half, is an excellent example of how Davis is so bad for the Clippers.

Davis checked in at the 3:21 mark of the third period with the score 55-70 (Clippers up by 15, an increase of 4 from halftime). Davis played about ten minutes and checked out at the 5:47 mark of the fourth with the Clippers barely ahead 81-85. During his time on the floor, Davis almost singlehandely blew the lead. In a four and a half minute stretch some point guard named Pooh Jeeter (who I’ve never heard of before) torched Davis and his matador defense for 11 points. Davis answered by going 1-3 with a turnover and a foul.

For the night, Davis was 2- 8 overall, 0-1 in threes (we got lucky he only chucked up one), and he didn’t get to the foul line even once.

He did get eight assists, but frankly that was because Gomes was hitting a lot of jumpers and even Butler was hitting a few more than usual, especially in the first half.

+/- is sometimes deceptive, but last night it makes a clear point. Davis’ was -12, the largest on the team. Bledsoe’s on the other hand was +19, also the largest on the team. That is a sharp and telling contrast.

The key to the game, of course, was Gordon taking over the game at the end. That’s what Bledsoe does, he brings out the best in Gordon.

Davis has to go so Griffin and Gordon, with the help of Bledsoe and his speed, can do their thing.

As for the announcers, they’re really losing their credibility. They’re turning into carnival barkers trying to get people to see the bearded hippo play basketball.

joseph

calm down it seems like you always have something bad to say please stop acting like baron isnt playing good

Nice Gomes

clipperbull

It’s sort of like the Republicans with Obama. You just keep saying the same junk over and over and eventually you wear people out. Plus all these superficial statistics. Baron goes 1-4 from 3 pointers. No mention of Bledsoe going 0-15 until last night. Baron blew the lead, blah, blah… No mention that he’s out there trying to protect the shop while all the starters are sitting. It’s all so tedious. The reality for anyone with an open mind who isn’t pushing an agenda is that the team has vastly improved since Baron has returned. Deal with it.

Old Clippa

The reason Baron Davis doesn’t give up the ball and refuses to involve other players:

That’s the only way he can jack up assists and look good on statsheet. He doesn’t care about sharing the ball and winning. Period. Discussion closed.

http://aol ClipperMarc

Hey that kid you’re talking about played for the red & blue at Junipero Serra High in Gardena. GO SERRA!

joeluis

Nobody is talking about how well Gomes’s shotting was. We need an extra scorer, it was his night i hope he keeps scoring that well.
Did anyone noticed how the clips game deflated when the kings were making BGriffin uncomfortable by double/trippleteaming him! At one point i saw griffin jumping for an offensive rebound (what a heart) when everyone else was nowhere near from the clips only 5 other kings were around him. (he lost that battle but what an effort!)
From the anouncers words ‘It was bledsoe’s best night’ . i like to see that from the kid. He’s so quick and got’s lots of potential. Stop with the anouncers comments (well i guess mike could go) I’d take Ralph over that dude that comments for the Fakers Any day!!
I’m glad that last game was a ‘W’! it will give us momentum for the FLakers game! Blake Vs Kobe (Future Vs present well not really but it should be a good one)
go clips!

Old Clippa

To win 10 in a row, we need Gomes, Butler and Aminu to score combined 30 pts.

Period. Discussion closed.

Average Jose

The next time the team needs Baron to jack a 3 as the shot clock expires, VDN has to pull him immediately and insert Bledsoe.

I’ve noticed that Bledsoe is usually very good as soon as he comes off the bench, especially when VDN is screaming at him to ATTACK the hoop.

Amazing how the momentum can shift so quickly as Bledsoe blazes past everyone getting either a layup for himself or a monster jam from Griffin.

The two guards need to be carefully rotated. As Bledsoe gains experience, we’ll see Baron less.

http://www.firedunleavy.com FD

Kaman has a bone bruise. How long does that take to heal?

Go Clippas

It will be about a Month!!!I hate The Lakers!!!

orville85

Maybe the NBA can take over the Clippers like they did the Hornets?

Bongstradamus

I think we need to lose money for that.

DTS doesnt lose money. Ever.

clippman

This game showed the young guys they cant take a lead for granted and can recover a lead late in the game. Great game experience. However, this game would have ended with an another team. Loved the energy by the young guys. Did not like the way BD played. Hate to see someone lose thier skills so fast but when your heart is not in it what can you expect.

Cody

Clipperbull, … please don’t poison this board with the mention of Republicans. Let’s focus on basketball.